The motivation to change and initiate a new way of thinking and being often hits as a result of outside factors. For Banks Lee, the inability to lock a roller coaster shoulder restraint due to his weight was the catalyst to reshape his life. Having peaked at over 300 pounds, he realized that the the thrill of riding an amusement park attraction paled in comparison to the ability to do so, and the freedom inherent in a healthier weight. He set a goal for his weight, has started blogging about his efforts, is more health conscious about his diet and is now walking and swimming daily.
Banks' approach has the hallmarks of what will be a successful life change. It is focused, well-defined, and (importantly) noteworthy. Inspired change can almost be expressed as an algebraic formula:
I + (E x G)(W x S)/C = Degree of permanence of the affected change.
Where I = inspiration, E = enthusiasm, G = goals, W = effort involved, S = support, and C = conditions that serve to resist change and embrace the status quo.
In Banks Lee's example, it can be shown that his failure to be able to ride the coaster (I) provided him the motivation (E) to lose enough weight (G) in order to lock the restraints down and take the ride. As such, he is exercising and eating more properly (W), has started a blog where he receives a constant stream of well-wishes and advice on weight loss (S). Where he faces his biggest challenge is that his current place of employment (C) is through Disney at the M&M's park, named after the chocolate candies. Which is an incredibly big condition, seeing as diet is a crucial part of weight loss.
Inspiration is a rarity in the human experience in that it is both mechanical and organic. It is mechanical in that it results from a process, whether that be a process of events or thoughts, and it is organic because that process is impossible to presage. Inspiration can be maddening because the process leading to it is only visible in retrospect. One cannot walk out the front door and decide to be inspired. And chasing inspiration is akin to falling asleep with fingers crossed and hoping for a certain dream. It's herding cats, writ large.
What's more, inspiration is never a continuance, rather the ignition of the new. The phrase, "I was inspired to keep doing what I was doing," is either ridiculous or the utterance of a feeble mind. Inspiration begins unforeseen ways of being and thinking. These new ways of thought and act can be uncomfortable, stretch us as people, and give us increased opportunities to fail spectacularly. But when we succeed?
Ahh, when we succeed, the success is doubly sweet. The nectar of achievement is tooth-achingly saccharine when it is through personal inspiration. The young adult who graduates college because it has been parentally-driven can in no way grasp the glory for a retiree who walks a college campus for exercise, only to uncover a lifelong dream and to return for a degree. What is more is that those who are inspired, have followed the formula above and succeeded actually find themselves more open to future inspiration. After all, self-affirming results are behavior cementers.
The student who decides to stop sleeping in late in the morning in order to study more, immediately sees an increase in mental acuity and better grades. What better affirmation of positive change? When Banks finally snaps the shoulder bars down and takes his ride, will he exit the coaster and head directly for the churro stand? Doubtful. When coupled with hard work and the right elements, inspiration can make any change possible. The important part is keeping ourselves open to it.
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